What Happens If Physical Therapy Doesn't Help Shoulder Pain?

Shoulder pain can greatly impact the quality of life. The initial treatment for shoulder pain is physical therapy. However, in a few cases, patients do not find relief through physical therapy. These are mostly cases where the pain stems from inflammation in the shoulder joint. 

So, what do you do if physical therapy doesn’t help? This article will cover everything you need to know about alternative treatments to relieve shoulder pain. Once you’re informed of these options, you can make the right decision for your treatment. 

What to Do if Physical Therapy Doesn't Relieve Shoulder Pain?

When physical therapy is ineffective, acupuncture, deep tissue massage, or the use of medical-grade red light therapy devices may be recommended in addition to physical therapy.

While deep tissue massage can help reduce inflammation, doctors also recommend to manage inflammation by controlling blood sugar levels. However, if you’ve tried everything in your might to resolve your shoulder pain, surgery is the last resort. 

Why Doesn't Physical Therapy Relieve Shoulder Pain?

Physical therapy is mostly aimed at improving mobility and reducing stiffness. While it helps with inflammation, physiotherapists also recommend other treatments in conjunction with physical therapy. These treatments include ice treatment, massage, compression, electrotherapy, and laser therapy. 

At times when ligaments are loose and weak due to age or injury, physical therapy might not work. Physical therapy also provides little relief to patients suffering from chronic conditions such as arthritis. In this case, other, complementary therapies can help boost the healing process and relieve shoulder pain. 

Alternative Treatments for Shoulder Pain

Apart from physical therapy, other treatments can help with shoulder pain as well. Let’s look at their details:

Cold Compress

Cold compress therapy is a simple yet effective way to reduce inflammation and numb acute pain in the shoulder. Applying a cold pack or ice wrapped in a cloth to the affected area temporarily restricts blood flow. This helps to reduce swelling and pain. 

This method is particularly useful for injuries such as sprains, strains, or post-surgery recovery. For best results, apply the compress for 15–20 minutes at a time, ensuring the skin is protected from direct contact with the ice to prevent frostbite.

Electrotherapy

Electrotherapy involves using electrical currents to stimulate muscles and nerves, promoting pain relief and muscle relaxation. Techniques such as Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) and Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS) are popular for managing shoulder pain. 

TENS works by sending low-voltage currents through electrodes placed on the skin, blocking pain signals from reaching the brain. EMS, on the other hand, stimulates muscle contractions. This improves blood circulation and prevents muscle atrophy, alleviating chronic pain and helping with healing injury.

Red Light Therapy

Red light therapy is a non-invasive technology, and studies have shown that using red light therapy can effectively help us relieve pain and manage skin health.

The PRUNGO red light therapy devices can flexibly treat various parts of the body, including pain in the head, waist, legs, or shoulders, and it can also be used in combination with other treatments such as physical therapy.

The device of this therapy emits specific wavelengths of red light and near-infrared light. 650nm red light and 850nm near-infrared light can penetrate the skin and target the underlying tissue to achieve the therapeutic effect.

How Red Light Therapy Helps Shoulder Pain？

Red light therapy by PRUNGO is equipped with a proprietary focusing lens which reduces the wide divergence of LED red light to within 10 degrees. The device also uses polarizers which are mostly used in large medical devices. These polarizers align the light wave vibrations more consistently with biological structures. 

Because it doesn't just numb the pain but rather helps with promoting collagen production, it is effective for shallow wound healing. It is particularly effective for shoulder pain caused by conditions like arthritis, tendonitis, or overuse injuries.

Research also proves that red light therapy can help with the growth and proliferation of skin, bone, and muscle cell cultures. This research-backed evidence is why quite recently U.S. Navy crews were supplied with near-infrared laser light devices to help with training injuries. The use of these devices sped up the healing time for lacerations by 50%. It also showed a 40% improvement in musculoskeletal injuries.  

What Makes Red Light Therapy Effective for Shoulder Pain?

Red light therapy is highly effective for shoulder pain due to its ability to penetrate deep into tissues and stimulate cellular activity. The therapy uses wavelengths of red and near-infrared light that reach the mitochondria, the powerhouse of the cells. This stimulation enhances energy production and accelerates the body’s natural healing processes.

However, the results are immediate as well. PRUNGO’s red light therapy module offers pain relief within 3 minutes of use. So, with red light therapy, you can get immediate relief as well as long-term benefits. 

When to Consider Red Light Therapy？

Here are some common situations when you can consider choosing red light therapy:

• Chronic Shoulder Pain: If you have a condition like arthritis, frozen shoulder, or rotator cuff, consistent red light therapy sessions can help alleviate pain and reduce its occurrence in the long run. 
• Post-Surgical Recovery: Red light therapy is also beneficial if you've undergone shoulder surgery. Not only does it help speed up healing and improve mobility, but it also reduces scarring since the laser is known to repair skin tissue. 
• Sports or Overuse Injuries: Athletes and active individuals suffering from tendonitis, strains, or general overuse pain can use the red light therapy device by PRUNGO to help reduce inflammation from overuse. 
• When Physical Therapy Alone Isn’t Enough: If progress from physical therapy is slow or insufficient, adding red light therapy can provide additional relief and improve the progress of physical therapy.

How to Use Red Light Therapy for Shoulder Pain？

Red light therapy is a treatment method that stimulates the body's cells with red light of a specific wavelength to promote blood circulation, reduce inflammation, relieve pain, and promote healing. 

For shoulder pain, red light therapy can effectively reduce inflammation and promote the recovery of soft tissue. Using PRUNGO's red light therapy module for shoulder pain treatment is very simple:

• Choose the appropriate treatment time and frequency: 1 treatment per day, each lasting 10-20 minutes. The duration and frequency of treatment can be adjusted according to individual conditions.
• Device used: PRUNGO's red light therapy module is a handheld device that you can aim directly at the painful area of ​​the shoulder. Make sure that the red light irradiates the muscles and joints around the pain point.
• Wearing method: PRUNGO devices can not only be handheld, but also worn on the shoulder area, which is convenient for long-term treatment. Its portable design makes the treatment process more flexible.

Long-term use of red light therapy can help relieve chronic pain in the shoulder, improve motor function, and promote the recovery of shoulder tissue.

Combining Red Light Therapy with Physical Therapy？

Red light therapy can complement physical therapy without any trouble. It can also be combined with allopathic medications since it is non-invasive and drug-free. 

In the case of shoulder pain, physical therapy can help improve mobility, strengthen muscles, and restore function. Red light therapy can enhance these benefits by reducing inflammation and accelerating tissue healing.

Conclusion

Shoulder pain from chronic conditions, post-surgery, or overuse can impact your quality of life. While physical therapy is quite effective in treating shoulder pain, in case of overuse and ligament damage, physical therapy might not benefit at all or have slow progress. Alternative treatments like red light therapy can help improve the outcomes of physical therapy by aiding the healing process. 

Red light therapy by PRUNGO’s red light module is especially effective because it uses lens technology and polarizers to deliver red light to a targeted area and align the light wave vibrations more consistently with biological structures. 

Related reading: What Is the Best Red Light Therapy for Back Pain?